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Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its broad charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably silly groove. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.

Whether its spitballing silliness will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the series – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early students will likely be snickering anew.

Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on December 19th in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.